Shawna N.M. Barnes is a writer, accessible website designer, and disabled veteran living in Cable, Wisconsin, with her husband. She was diagnosed with seronegative generalized myasthenia gravis (MG) in 2018 after seven years of advocating for herself within the VA’s medical system. She hopes that through her transparency, bluntness, and no-nonsense way of writing about life with her disease that she can help others see that there is hope after an MG diagnosis. Sometimes, we just have to get out of our own way to live our best lives.
Close your eyes and imagine that you’re in a diving suit, swimming in a warm and comfortable lagoon. You find yourself drawn into the depths of the beautiful teal water by a siren. At…
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The caregiver. The parent. The big sister. The only child. The husband/wife/spouse. The honors student. The executive. The jock. The soldier. The patient. The flaky friend. The chronically ill. These are all titles…
Did you know that Sept. 21 is the International Day of Peace? The United Nations established it in 1981, and it’s celebrated every year on that day. When my world’s in chaos, as it’s…
Today I despise myasthenia gravis. I resent the eight years I had to fight for a diagnosis. I’m jealous of my able-bodied family members. But most of all, I loathe having myasthenia…
It’s something I’ve always read about in my research on myasthenia gravis (MG). I’d always hoped it would never happen to me. I went so long trying to figure out MG that having…
When I first got out of the Army, I was unable to drive or take care of myself or my son, let alone work. I moved back in with my parents in July…
On Aug. 8, I had an appointment with a new neurologist. I was apprehensive about it because he would be the second neurologist I’d see at Veterans Affairs (VA) since our move to…
What do you do when after fighting for years you finally find a medical team that listens and a treatment plan that actually helps? Well, if you are anything like me, you take…
Last week my husband and I celebrated an anniversary on July 20. It wasn’t the anniversary of when we first met (that’s Oct. 15). It wasn’t our wedding anniversary (that’s coming up on Aug.
Nobody said this life would be easy. We all endure storms we barely make it out of alive. Throw an autoimmune disease like myasthenia gravis into the mix, and life can go from…
Three years ago, after I had a thymectomy and before I started high doses of prednisone to treat my myasthenia gravis (MG), I weighed in at a comfortable 170 pounds. After I was…
It’s the last Monday of June. The last Monday of National Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month. Last week, I shared some tips for both myasthenics and our friends and family on how you can…
“Hey, Shawna, I have a (friend/co-worker/family member) who was just diagnosed with myasthenia gravis. Can I connect the two of you?” One of the advantages — and sometimes disadvantages — of being as…
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